Atkins Family Saved By Strangers After Plane Crash

A Richardson, Tex. family was pulled to safety by bystanders after their plane crashed into the ocean off the coast of a small Caribbean island near Honduras.

"We lost an engine, is what I was told, and we crashed into the ocean and flipped over and were stuck underwater," Andy Atkins told NBCDFW.

Atkins was helped to the surface by the plane's pilot but his family, including his wife Jenny and their 4-year-old son Logan, were still missing. That's when strangers in a nearby boat jumped in to help rescue the others.

"It reaffirms your faith in people and humanity," said Atkins according to The Daily Mail.

The story is somewhat reminiscent of a report from the Associated Press earlier this month of a Utah family that was saved by bystanders after their car skidded off the road and plunged into the Logan River.

And late last year KSL reported that strangers worked together to free a motorcyclist in Logan, Utah who was trapped underneath a burning car.

Comments

[LOJC]

07:17 PM on 01/25/2012

Being saved is at once a humbling and marvelous experience and smacks of the
supernaturalism that surrounds us...right place at the right time...unhesitating altruism..
self sacrificing and dare I say Love....(the kind of LOVE talked about in God's book..)
It is rare for someone to offer up their lives...even for people they know are good... and
even more rare to offer up your life for a stranger... We are most like our savior Jesus
Christ when we do this and definitely at our best as humans.

[tan2123]

10:32 PM on 01/24/2012

Bravo! Bravo! It reaffirmed his faith in ..."humanity". Thankfully, he didn't thank god but rather gave credit where credit was due! ...then she uses the word "blessed" over and over

[DevonTexas]

03:24 PM on 01/24/2012

Wow. Amazing.

[Bronco-fromtheBronx]

09:13 AM on 01/24/2012

Sometimes it is soooooo good to come over to this side of the news. To see that we still have those who would save others at risk to themselves. I hope I would always do the same. What's equally refreshing is to read the comments here. Sort of restores one's faith.

[anitafeeney]

03:58 AM on 01/24/2012

i am happy to know there are still decent people in the world i am even happier that this family is ok

[ddokken69]

03:42 AM on 01/24/2012

There is but one word that discribes these strangers "Awesome"

[llisa]

01:00 AM on 01/24/2012

Good news, indeed.

[RichardBe]

12:48 AM on 01/24/2012

Just PLANE Luck !!!!! :)

[BEATRIX KIDDO]

12:02 AM on 01/24/2012

I believe most people would do their best to help someone in danger. It was really lucky there was a boat so close to them, love good news like this : )

[Simply Red]

07:46 PM on 01/23/2012

They are lucky to have someone to rescue them. How horrific! I'll bet they are glad to see dry land.

[flpsde76]

06:48 PM on 01/23/2012

Acts of random kindness, that's the miracle.

[llc0655]

08:05 PM on 01/23/2012

Yes and we need more acts of random kindness in this world. Truly an amazing story. The strangers should be proud of this selfless act

[special38x2]

08:39 PM on 01/23/2012

I hope they pass the goodness on...we need more of these wonderful stories to reprogram people in to positive thinking.

[david25luvit]

06:21 PM on 01/23/2012

An incredible survival story.... All three are very lucky to be alive. One can only assume the truck that hit them from behind was traveling at a high rate of speed to mangle her car so badly and to send him over the edge to die. Again....an incredible story of survival. The men (Fire & Rescue I'm assuming ) who rescued them were very brave....thank God they got assistance from another group who made their rescue possible by supporting the mangled BMW while they got them out.

[BEATRIX KIDDO]

12:04 AM on 01/24/2012

This is about a plane crash ...maybe your comment got misplaced in the cyber space : )

[david25luvit]

09:59 AM on 01/27/2012

Yeah it did.....Hmmm?

[japama]

06:12 PM on 01/23/2012

WOW! They were lucky. Hope all is well.

[david25luvit]

06:08 PM on 01/23/2012

An amazing story of survival and rescue. What better way to affirm life.....having strangers assist in the rescue and making all the difference in the world to this particular family. It's pretty obvious the husband was extremely grateful for these people and their efforts to rescue his family. It could have been much different story had the pilot not assisted the husband and his wife getting free of the restraints. Apparently all involved in the rescue should be very proud!

[namaholston]

05:53 PM on 01/23/2012

What a wonderful story, timely rescue, and blessed event.